In this episode our cafe guest is Tiffany Vassell. Tiffany is a labor and delivery nurse, author, and founder of Nurses for Black Maternal Health and Equity based in Boston, Massachusetts She came to the cafe to share her childbirth experience, how it motivated her to become a nurse and maternal health advocate and her recommendations for how expecting families can prepare for a hospital birth. Grab your warm drink and tune in for a great conversation!
Some key takeaways:
- The importance of extended postpartum care and support, including the need for comprehensive insurance coverage and workplace leave policies.
- the importance of education, advocacy, and communication in addressing disparities in maternal health.
- Communication is key. Birthing people have a right to bodily autonomy and choices about themselves and their babies
- Black maternal mortality rate is high due to systemic racism, discrimination, social and economic factors, and poor communication with the birthing team.
- It is crucial to have a healthcare proxy on file in case the mother cannot speak for herself during delivery.
- Patients can and should ask questions like who the people in the room are and whether they can decline some of them, or requesting a female provider if they are uncomfortable with a male one.
- A relaxing and calming atmosphere during labor can help ease stress and reduce pain. Strategies like aromatherapy, dimming lights, and calming music can help.
About Tiffany Vassell, RN
Tiffany Vassell is a registered nurse who has worked as a labor and delivery nurse for several years. She has also served as a substance use nurse assisting patients with their recovery. She is a Black maternal health advocate who supports midwifery care, equity, justice, autonomy, and access to home births and birth centers.
She is a board member of the Bay State Birth Coalition and advocates for An Act promoting access to midwifery care and out-of-hospital birth options and establishing the Neighborhood Birth Center in Boston. She is the founder of Nurses for Black Maternal Health and Equity Organization, which seeks to diversify the perinatal workforce. She also recently served as Chair at the 5th and 6th Annual Black Maternal Health Conference at Tuft's University, the country's largest Black maternal health conference.
She is the co-author of the book 'Preparation for a Hospital Birth.' In the book, she seeks to demystify birthing in the hospital in ways only a nurse can explain. She aims to educate birthing people about the many available options during labor, delivery, and the immediate postpartum periods to create a safer and more autonomous experience.
She serves as a member of the steering committee for Mind the Gap, which advocates for the Massachusetts Moms Matter Act that would diversify the state's perinatal mental health workforce and invest in community-based organizations supporting perinatal people. She is a Harvard Catalyst Community Coalition for Equity in Research member, which gives high-quality input on research proposals and protocols.
She has sat on several panels to discuss her work and advocacy in the maternal health space and has written several articles. She is a member of the Sigma Theta Tau Nursing Honor Society for leadership. She is the awardee of the 2022 Image of the Professional Nurse awarded by the Massachusetts Nursing Association. She is also one of the 2022 Ten Outstanding Young Leaders awarded by the Greater Boston Chamber of Commerce.
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